The Mysterious Mountains
by googly-eyed-ovr-me
Summary: Leo has embarked on an adventue that will change his life. For good or for worse is up to him.
1. Chapter 1

Leo gingerly touched his dry cracked lips. He rubbed some ointment on it but doubted it would help.

He had been running ever since he had lost control……or so he thought. He knew the only way to escape the Renegade was to go through the Kaho Desert. "Out of all the deserts I could've been close to, it had to be this one," he thought.

The Kaho Desert was known for the many brave and hardy travelers that had died there. Already his supplies were running low. It was about midnight, but he didn't want to go to sleep because every time he did he had nightmares of what happened at the village. The village he had destroyed……somehow. He would hear the screams of the townsfolk, especially the children. Oh how he wished he could forget, but unfortunately he couldn't. And now the team called the Renegade is after him and gaining.

The Renegade was a police force made up of wizards and occasionally a shade. They believed they brought justice to the world but over time they grew corrupted. No one knew who the leader was or who founded it. They were known to kill criminals at sight. Their motto was "kill first ask questions later."

He only had a week's head start and the only thing that kept him from giving up was the comforting weights by his side. They were his best defense against his foes, his guns. He had been trained by the best of ways to use them. Leo overheard from the whisperings of the villagers that he might be the one to overthrow the insane king who ruled all the land. Some had tried but the king was powerful as insane.

He pressed on aware that he had stopped. He looked looked at the sand; the flowing, never-ending sand that could drive an ordinary man insane. But he was no ordinary man. He was a gun slinger.The only one left alive


	2. Chapter 2

The days that passed in the desert were like a dream. The heat was so intense he could scarcely keep track of time. His vision started blurring, blending the colors of the sun and sand. He felt thoroughly fatigued. Then he fell unconscious letting the sand comfort during his sleep.

Leo woke up. It was night. Next to him there was a small fire burning merrily. He was lying on a couple of blankets. Suddenly someone started to talk.

"So, you've finally woken up. It took you long enough." It was a woman. She looked to be about eighteen, with jet black her and piercing green eyes. She was strikingly beautiful. She spoke with a cheeky confidence.

"When I found you, you were nearly dead. You were stupid to come out here with out water. You could have died." At this she rolled her eyes. She was starting to annoy Leo. "Well, do you speak or did I save a mute?"

"My name is Leo. I came into the desert because the Renegade was after me." He stuck his hand out, but she ignored it. He noticed she had a very long black dagger tucked in the belt of her pants. He reached down to check if he had his gun when he noticed he was naked. He immediately started blushing.

"Oh, you've noticed I took your clothes off? I had else you would have died much quicker." She smiled at this comment as if she owned him now. "My name is Jasmine. I come from the mountains in the east."

"You mean the Mysterious Mountains ?" Leo asked.

"Yes," answered Jasmine," from the Mysterious Mountains.?


	3. Chapter 3

It was a full moon. A faint wind stirred through the sand. Two shadows flitted through the moonlight leaving no footprints. They approached two sleeping figures next two a smoldering fire. As they neared, a black pool of darkness appeared in front of them. It moved as if it had a mind of its own, towards them. It suddenly erupted forward and swallowed them up leaving no trace of them behind.

Leo woke up and immediately regretted. The bright sunlight stung his eyes. Jasmine was making some sort of mush. He looked around. Sand, sand, and more sand. He couldn't tell direction. It was a wonder on how they were going to get out of the desert.

"So…you want some breakfast? I made gruel. I admit, it's not the best food in the world, but it's enough keep you alive." Leo grunted in reply. As Leo ate the gruel, Jasmine drew a perfect pentacle in the sand. She pulled three candles out of her bags and placed them around the pentacle. She lit them one by one making sure they lit properly. She stepped in the pentacle and sat cross-legged. She closed her eyes and said," Jeremy! Appear!"

A black column rose out of the ground. It started taking shape. First a leg than arms and finally a head. He looked to be about in his early twenties but his eyes betrayed deep sadness and wisdom.

"I have come." Jeremy's voice sounded supernaturally demonic. Leo had goose bumps just listening to it.

"Tell me what occurred."

"Well, madam, nothing strange occurred during the night except two bandits tried to creep up on you while you slept. I managed to apprehend them before the got to close."

"Very, well. I command you to travel with me till the end of the day."

"As you wish, madam."

Leo had never seen a diabolist since any who practiced the art ended up dying by the same demons they had summoned.

_Jasmine must be very strong_Leo decided. _The more reason to leave her as soon as possible._

"Thank you Jasmine for saving my life," Leo said," but I must go now."

He got up to leave but Jasmine raised her hand. Immediately, Jeremy sprung forward and tackled Leo to the ground. He held him down forcing his hands behind his back.

"Before you go, you must swear that you will tell no one of my existence. I was never here and you never talked to me. Is that understood?"

Leo barely managed to say yes before Jeremy got off him and he and Jasmine walked away.

_Got to look out for them. They may prove to be dangerous one day._

Leo walked away heading the opposite way of the mountains, thinking of what had transpired.


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

Leo was nearing Thesinford when he saw smoke in the air. It was coming from the town. He got is guns ready, his fear being that whatever had been there was probably still there.

He got to the entrance and stopped.

In the middle of the town, hundreds of spears where buried in the ground. But what made Leo nauseated was the fact that the whole town was on those spears, dead. Men impaled on the bottom of the spears, with women, and then children and even babies at the top. Crows were pecking at their eyes. Who ever did this spared no one.

He immediately started looking around, expecting to see the murderers looting the town but everything was quiet, except for the occasional sparks of the fire slowly consuming the whole town.

He was about to leave but something hit him across the head and he fell, not even remembering himself hitting the ground.

Leo woke up the second time without knowing where he was or how he got there. He was tied up to a chair in the middle of an empty room. He tested the rope and found it strong and tight. Judging by the fact that he could no longer feel his hands, he guessed he had been like that for several hours. He tried to get up but found his legs tied up also.

He immediately started looking for his guns. He didn't feel the belt at his waist so he guessed they probably took them off.

Leo then waited.

After what seemed to be about 4 hours he heard footsteps. Then the door open. He immediately lost some of his hope. It was the Renegade.

Jasmine first saw the smoke. Then she saw the town. Most of it was already burned up. Then something caught her attention. She saw a tied up man being loaded onto the back of a horse by two figures in robes. He looked strangely familiar.

"Jeremy, does he look familiar to you?"

"Yes, madam. He is Leo, the man we rescued in the desert."

They immediately started running towards them but Jasmine knew they could never catch up. They saw the robed men get on their horses and ride away.

"Shall we follow, madam?"

"Yes Jeremy," said Jasmine with a hint of excitement," we shall."


	5. Chapter 5

Three men stepped in. They all wore robes and all of their faces were covered. They looked menacing. Then one stepped up and started speaking.

"Are you Leo, the man who destroyed the city of Larsca?"

"What's it to you?" Leo said.

"We have reason to believe you were this man," the man said.

"And how do you figure that?"

He paused. He looked at his companion on the right and his companion on left. He then turned back to Leo and said nothing.

"Are you or are you not this man?!" he yelled.

"I might be." Leo said.

Leo knew his chances of getting out of this were virtually zero but he might as well get them annoyed before he was killed.

Then the man's hand started glowing black. He lunged for Leo's neck. Leo was too slow and he felt the man's hand close around his throat. A pain so terrible erupted through his body.

Only one heard his screams.

* * *

Jasmine heard Leo screaming. It sounded like he was being tortured. In front of her there were several tents pitched up; Worst of all there dozens of guards patrolling the perimeters. She knew to save him she needed to summon more demons. 

"Jeremy, bring me my bag."

"My lady, it is not a logical choice to try to save Leo right now," Jeremy said.

"Jeremy, your such a fun-ruiner! Of course we can win this," Jasmine said.

"There must be dozens of gua-,"

"We can win this and we must. I will not allow Leo to be killed," Jasmine said sharply.

"I dislike when you get like this, my lady." Jeremy said.

"Like how?" Jasmine said innocently.

"Oh never mind," Jeremy said.

Jasmine started summoning demons inside her pentacle, each more ferocious than the last.


End file.
